New Stakes in Argentina, Chile, Idaho, South Africa, and Taiwan; New Districts in Aruba, Mexico, and Russia; Stake Discontinued in Oregon; Districts Discontinued in Malaysia

Argentina
The Church organized a new stake from the Olavarría Argentina District on June 21st. The new stake includes the following five wards and four branches: the Independencia, Mariano Moreno, Tandil 1st, Tandil 2nd, and Urquiza Wards and the Azul, Bolívar, Rauch, and Villa Aguirre Branches. The Church consolidated the Olavarría Argentina and Tandil Argentina Districts in 2014 in preparation to create the new stake. There are now 74 stakes and 29 districts in Argentina.

Chile
The Church organized a new stake from the Valparaíso Chile West District and the Valparaíso Chile Stake. The new stake appears to include just four wards: the Edwards, Levarte, O'Higgins, and Quebrada Verde Wards. Problems with an inadequate number of Melchizedek Priesthood holders appeared to delay the reestablishment of a stake from the Valparaíso Chile West District since 2002 when the original stake was discontinued. There are now 77 stakes and 19 districts in Chile.

Idaho
The Church organized a new YSA stake in the Rexburg area. The Rexburg Idaho YSA 10th Stake was organized from various YSA stakes in the area and includes the following 12 wards: the Rexburg YSA 6th, Rexburg YSA 9th, Rexburg YSA 26th, Rexburg YSA 30th, Rexburg YSA 34th, Rexburg YSA 42nd, Rexburg YSA 46th, Rexburg YSA 68th, Rexburg YSA 74th, Rexburg YSA 107th, Rexburg YSA 108th, and Rexburg YSA 109th Wards. There are now 128 stakes in Idaho.

South Africa
The Church organized a new stake in the Johannesburg metropolitan area on June 28th. The Mabopane South Africa Stake was organized from the Pretoria South Africa Stake and includes the following five wards: the Atteridgeville, Mabopane, Montana, Saulsville, and Soshanguve Wards. Senior missionaries note that the new stake leadership is solely comprised of black African members. There are now 15 stakes and three districts in South Africa.

Taiwan
The Church organized a new stake in Taiwan on June 21st. The Hualien Taiwan Stake was organized from the Hua Lien Taiwan District. The new stake includes the following five wards and one branch: the Hualien 1st, Hualien 2nd, Taitung 1st, Taitung 2nd, and Taitung 3rd Wards and the Yu Li Branch. The new stake had the minimum required members (1,900) needed to be organized into a stake, suggesting moderate member activity rates in the area. There are now 14 stakes and one district in Taiwan.

Aruba
The Church reinstated a member district in Aruba. The ABC Islands District was organized from mission branches in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao and includes the following four branches: the Bonaire, Curaçao, Oranjestad, and San Nicolás Branches. The Church previously operated a district in Aruba from 2004 to 2009 and a separate district in Curaçao from 2005 to 2009. The district was also transferred from the Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission to the realigned Trinidad Port of Spain Mission.

Mexico
The Church organized a new district in Mexico on July 12th. The Nochixtlan México District was organized from the Mexico Oaxaca Mission and the Oaxaca Mexico Monte Alban Stake. The new district includes the following four branches: the Anona, Nochixtlan, Santiago Tenango, and Tlaxiaco Branches. The new district presents church leaders with exciting opportunities to extend specialized outreach among the large Mixtec Amerindian population in the region. There are now 231 stakes and 38 districts in Mexico.

Russia
The Church organized two new districts in Russia in June.

The Samara Russia District was organized from mission branches in the Russia Samara Mission. The new district includes the following seven branches: the Avrory, Bezymyansky, Kazan', Novokuybishevsk, Samara Russia District, Toliatti, and Ulianovsk Branches. The Church previously operated a district in Samara from 1996 until 2013. The decision to reestablish a district in the city and its large geographical size suggest that mission and area leaders foresee realistic opportunities to establish a stake in the medium term.

The Moscow Russia North District was organized from mission branches in the Russia Moscow Mission. The new district includes the following seven branches: the Gor’kovsky, Lotoshino, Moscow Russia North District, Ryazan, Tverskoy, Yaroslavsky, and Zarechny Branches. The decision to organize the district indicates that there may be plans to create a second stake in Moscow in the coming five years.

There are now two stakes and five districts in Russia.

Oregon
The Church recently discontinued a stake in Oregon for the first time in the history of the Church in the state. The Portland Oregon East Stake was discontinued and its five wards were reassigned to neighboring stakes. The stake was originally organized in 1951 and included inner city areas in northern Portland. There are now 35 stakes in Oregon.

Malaysia
The Church recently discontinued a stake in East Malaysia. The Bintulu Malaysia District was discontinued and its three branches were reassigned to the Miri Malaysia District. Missionaries serving in the area noted that this decision was prompted by slow growth in the area over the past few years and plans from mission leaders to prepare the area for the establishment of a stake in the near future. Branches in Miri appear to currently meet qualifications to operate as wards. However, missionaries note that branches in Bintulu fall vastly short of these qualifications at this time. There are now seven districts in Malaysia.

Two Districts Discontinued

Two districts were discontinued in the Caribbean. The Oranjestad Aruba and Curacao Netherlands Antilles Districts were both discontinued, with their branches now reporting directly to the Puerto Rico San Juan West Mission. There were 458 members in three branches in Aruba and 889 members in five branches in the Netherlands Antilles at the end of 2008. Both of these districts were organized in 2004. The decision to discontinue these districts is likely due to inactivity and retention problems since these districts are distant from mission headquarters in Puerto Rico. These islands have seen some of the most rapid growth in membership in the past decade among countries/territories in the Caribbean with fewer than 1,000 members. Some of the most active, strong leaders may have been less able to assist in strengthening Church members in their local branches, contributing to these districts being discontinued.